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“James…?”
“It’s Bolivar, Dad. We’ve found another Temple of Eternal Truth.”
I was wide awake and standing next to the bed, almost in eyeball contact. “Not under the same name?”
“Nowhere close. This one is The Seekers of the Way. No names, books, or characters are the same as in the Temple of Eternal Truth. But they are identical if you do a semiotic comparison.” “Where?”
“Not that far. Planet named Vulkanu. Mining and heavy industry for the most part. But it does have an attractive tropical archipelago that is devoted only to holiday making and retirement homes. Apparently so fascinating that it draws customers from all the nearby star systems.”
“We leave—” “As soon as you’re packed. Tickets waiting at the—shuttle flight. One hour to liftoff.”
I checked my wallet and credit cards. “I’m packed. Let’s grab some passports and go.”
Chapter 3
Ever cautious, we traveled under new names with new passports; I had dozens of them, all genuine, locked away in the safe. The only equipment we took was a brace of electronic cameras—which I had improved far beyond their manufacturer’s wildest dream. I of course had my diamond dress studs, as well as a few bits of jewelry and other i
Our arrival on Vulka
“Sire Diplodocus and Sons. I greet you. My name is Deveena De Zoftig, but my friends call me Dee.”
“We’re your friends!”
“Of course. I am your guide and at your service as long as you are on our wonderful world. May I be most informal and call you Jim, James and Bolivar?”
“You may,” the twins chorused, their smiles echoing her white—toothed one.
“Wonderful! Be prepared for the holiday of a lifetime.”
“We’re prepared,” they breathed, and the warm radiance of passion flamed from their skins.
“Then this way if you please. Kindly wave your health certificates in the direction of the doctor there, well done. And now to your luggage, which is awaiting you and being carried by that porterbot. Exit through this gate, thank you. The machine in the gate has X—rayed your wallets and verified your credit cards. You will have a lovely and expensive vacation on our planet.”
Such honesty was most refreshing and I was begi
“We need a luxurious hotel,” I said.
“We have thousands.”
“We would like one that is close to the Church of the Seekers of the Way where we are meeting some friends.”
“You are indeed in luck for also located on Grotsky Square is the Rasumofsky Robotic Rest. A fully automated hostelry without a human employee, that is wide open and wonderful both day and night and never closes.”
“Suits our needs,” I said. “Lead the way.”
“Your rooms are ready and waiting,” she said as our taxi stopped in front of the hotel.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Irritatingly cheerful bellboybots chimed as they seized our bags.
“These are for you,” Dee said, placing a jeweled flower on each of our shirts. “I will leave you now but I will never forget you. You have but to speak my name into your flower and I will return as quickly as I can. I bid you only to enjoy! Enjoy!”
“We will, we will!” we chorused in return and let ourselves be guided to our rooms. Before we went to work I checked for messages back on Lussuoso. Nothing discovered, no trace of Angelina. I had the gut feeling that we were right to take her advice and follow the trail offplanet.
“Nice,” Bolivar said as he spun the cutter against the window and removed a neat disc of glass. The glass cutter clicked back and became a pocketknife as he fixed the camera, that was more than a camera, with its lens projecting through the opening. “Now we can not only photograph them as they come and go, but we can get their voices on the record as well.”
“Very good,” I said, peeking through the viewfinder. I set the controls, and turned it on. “All automatic now.”
“Memory?” James asked.
“About ten—thousand hours at a molecular level. More than we are going to need. Now let us get a drink and a meal and some sleep and see what morning will bring.”
Morning brought more darkness instead of sunshine since Vulka
“I’m going to work out in the gym and have a swim,” I a
“Be there before you,” Bolivar said, hurtling towards the door to his bedroom.
When we entered the pool room and threw aside our towels we were delighted to see that our guide Dee had entered through the other door and had thrown aside her towel as well. Since there is no nudity taboo on Vulka
“I hope that you are enjoying your visit to our fair world,” she said with a broad smile just as lovely as the rest of her.
The answer to that question was obvious. I dived into the pool and swam a number of enthusiastic laps while the twins indulged in enthusiastic conversation with her, for such is the way of youth. I could see the attraction of this, particularly when I came up for breath and paused to admire the scenery.
We met in the gym and the boys worked up a good lather of sublimation since we were here for work, not dalliance. All this mindless exercise cheered us greatly—and kept our thoughts off of the Seekers of the Way. Refreshed, and with lunch holding breakfast down nicely, we trooped back to our rooms. I fast—reran the recording, then played back some of the conversations. Then amplified the images of the parishioners so I could make prints of their faces. Spread them out on the table so we could look at them.
With mutual feelings of glum depression. It was James who spoke for all of us.
“One thing certain—none of us is going to be able to join up and make any investigations inside that church.”
“Not without some radical surgery,” Bolivar said with a broad smile; we glowered back.
Everyone who had visited the church so far had been a woman. “We need help,” I said. “Still in touch with the Special Corps?” James asked.
“There is no escaping them. Though I have not talked to our noble leader, Inskipp, for a long time. Which is all for the best.” I glanced at my watch, then bit a few settings and smiled. “Very good news. It is now the middle of the night at Prime Base. I will be forced to wake that dear man up.”
His secretary answered first but I knew the code that bypassed its tiny robotic mind. After a number of rings, growing steadily louder since Inskipp was a heavy sleeper, a familiar and angry voice rustled in my ear. “If this isn’t a major emergency you are dead, whoever you are,” Inskipp growled.
“Jim diGriz here, good friend. Did I awake you?”
“I’m issuing an order now to seize all the assets in your bank accounts. Even the ones you think I don’t know about!”